W/O Arnost MRTVY
Fighter Wing: 134 RAF Wing, Squadron: 313
RAF Sqn
Name: W/O Arnost MRTVY Fighter Wing: 134 RAF Wing Squadron: 313 RAF Sqn Years: April 1944 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Comments: I was a Czech RAF Voluntary Reserve pilot from a Czech 313 RAF Squadron. In July 1939, I fled for the Nazi-occupation of my country. I escaped through Poland and France. In July 1940, I escaped again to England where I started training with the RAF. I ended up in 313 Sqn, the last Czech Sqn established during WWII. On 19 April 1944, I provided Spitfire escort support to a B-26 bomber mission to the Malines Marshalling Yards. 391 Bomb Group reported later that “it was one of the best escorts ever provided”. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it back to England. I was engaged by Fw-190 beyond the Target Area; I was able to bail out and open my parachute. An SS AA-unit shot my parachute to pieces and I did not survive the fall. I am now berried in the Commonwealth War Grave Commission section of the Schoonselhof near Antwerp, Belgium. My tombstone can be viewed [here]. My ghost-writer is now taking care and is trying to keep my memory and all of those fallen airmen back to live. |
The first box flight names alludes to 386 Bomb Group LEAD BOX BOX 2 Flight 1 (555Sqn) Flight1 (554Sqn) KELLY J.W. WHITE T.J. ELDRIDGE TANCK KINGSLEY WATSON ABERSON HILLIS LAGERSON KELLY F.S. MOORE MOGRATH Flight 2: (553Sqn) Flight 2: (557Sqn) SPENGER GIANATSIS POTTER SCOTT MADISON GILES HOWARD KLIMOVICH SNYDER FANSLER BRANDSTROM LYTLE Flight 3: Flight 3: VOORHEES (555Sqn) PETIT (554Sqn) DARNALL (555Sqn) PAYNE (554Sqn) DUNLOP (555Sqn) HEIGHLEY (554Sqn) ALBERS (557Sqn) LING (553Sqn) BOWLING (557Sqn) RICHARDSON (553Sqn) HATCH (557Sqn) REEVES (553Sqn) EXTRA: (555Sqn) EXTRA: (554Sqn) KENDALL PRICE The names of the pilots of the 394 BG boxes. I guess these followed 387 BG of which no records have been found. LEAD BOX BOX 2 Flight 1 Flight1 SCHULTE HOWARD TOWNSEND Mc GREGOR GINGLETON MEE GEHLER LINDSEY PARNELL KISSELL HARTLEY PALMER Flight 2: Flight 2: KEATING JOY KUBALA Mc CALLUM WARD GIBBS FRASER DOLAN YORCHILK IHLE RINKEL KIRBY Flight 3: Flight 3: POTTS GEDEON GHASTEEN DERICKSON FREEMAN BLEDSLOE RUSSELL MURFIELD WILBERG CLARKE KERSEY WILSON EXTRA: EXTRA: MORELAND GREENE Malines mission, April 19, 1944, pt 1 Malines mission, April 19, 1944, pt 2 Malines mission, April 19, 1944, pt 3 |